Dropping The Masks
by YunCyn
Summary: An unusual way of how three youths could drop their respective facades about their identities and their real feelings.


**Dropping The Masks**

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**Disclaimer**: Detective Conan & Magik Kaito © Gosho Aoyama.

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* * *

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Screams. Gunshots.

_-_

**_Dammit_**_, this was **NOT** part of the plan._

_-_

_Where the friggin heck did it say to shoot people down like you were hunting DUCKS?!_

_-_

_Oh, sure, give me an even better reason for the love of my life to hate me by endangering her father's life, why don't you, you buncha-_

_-_

_…_

_-_

_Memo to me: stop memorizing Nakamori-keibu's lines._

_Quit swearing, Kuroba, remember the drill: Duck, cover and roll… _

**-**

**BANG!!**

**CRASH!!**

_-_

_Forget the rolling unless you want a couple of million slivers of glass in your skin that Jii will nag you for…_

_Alright alright, let's see here… empty card gun, no smoke bomb, shredded cape, half my hat shot off and a couple of flags in my left sock. _

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Jingle jingle jingle.

_-_

_Oh, and a pair of magic keys in my right pocket._

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**_Buggerit._**

_-_

_Concentrate. Get to the ledge and take off, distract whoever it is that's trying to blow a few holes into people…_

_Then what?_

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"KYAAAAAAAAA!!!" came from below.

_-_

_Oh **bugger.**_

_…_

_Memo to me: quit reading Terry Pratchett for a month or two._

_C'mon feet, movemovemovemove-_

**_WHAT the-_**

_-_

**Screeech!**

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"What the hell are **you two** doing here?"

"Helping. What the hell are **you** doing here?"

"Stealing the North Star diamond."

"More like stealing, possibly returning, and at the moment, helping."

"Whom?"

"Do you not notice the policemen trying to stop some nutcases who're shooting at innocent people?"

"We noticed. We were about to do the same thing."

"Not that we have much time but I'm curious as to how."

"We're not about to-"

"Using the small fry's gadgets and pinpoint who's shooting. Then knock em' out."

"**Hattori…"**

"Look, you wanna stay here and argue or do you wanna save a couple of lives!?"

"Meitantei Hattori has a point, Meitantei Kudo. Truce for the moment. Do you have a gun?"

Grumble. "Sort of."

"Good."

**-**

**Fwoom!**

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"To put it shortly, the fastest way of tracking the shooters is by air. I have the hang glider, you have the means of stopping them. Are we clear?"

"…I _hate _that hang glider."

"Not now, Kudo."

"It'll be just like hawking."

"Hawking?"

"The bird is released. It finds the target, sails down…"

"And rips its throat out."

"Except for that part."

"If it weren't for the fact that people are getting hurt, I wouldn't agree to this."

"You think I would? Oof, you're _heavy_!"

"Shut up and carry."

"I'll meet you two down there. **GO!**"

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"Hup!"

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"OI!! What're you doing?! We're sinking, not gliding!"

"Not… used to… carrying… extra weight… give… time…"

"…there! That black Mercedes!"

"Sure?"

"**GO! They're getting away!!**"

_-_

_Dammit, Kudo Shinichi, you're getting the bill for a chiropractor tomorrow…!_

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"Ack!! Losingspeedlosingspeedfallingfallingfallin-"

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**ZHOOM!**

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"…**why the hell didn't you activate your rocket boosters earlier!?!**"

"They're new and I panicked!! Now get above that car!"

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The white hang glider of 1412 swooped a little lower, helped by the bursts of flame shooting out of the heel of a pair of shoes belonging to the boy he was carrying. They hovered above the roof of their quarry, the thief desperately trying to match speeds with the car.

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"Now what?!!"

"DROP ME!"

"You're gonna take him on your own?!"

"You got any brighter ideas?!"

"…as a matter of fact…"

"**What the hell are you doing?! You're passing him!"**

"Shut up and trust me! And turn those rocket boosters off!"

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The driver of a car just about four cars away from the black Mercedes barely heard the thump over the blaring Linkin Park CD in his stereo.

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"Now WHAT?!"

"Aim for the driver and kick his face in! You've got that blow up football gadget!"

**-**

**Zeeeeeng…! **Went the blowing up of a soccer ball from Conan's belt.

**POW! **Went Conan's kick against the ball.

**CRASH!! **Went the windshield of the Mercedes.

**SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH!!! **Went the car as it swerved, crashing into the other cars and ultimately into a streetlamp.

**"I TRIED SO HARD BUT GOT **_so far…"_ Went a fading Linkin Park in a certain car stereo.

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Still hanging onto Conan, Kaito glided once more off the car they were riding and came to a stop by the crashed black Mercedes.

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"I was wondering kinda freak footballer you were when you used that on one of our last meetings."

"Shut up."

"Good GRIEF!"

"Ah, Meitantei Hattori."

The dark skinned detective looked around then grinned at them. "Leave it to the two of you to leave nothing for me to deal with."

"It was a spontaneous idea."

"Hattori…"

"…it's them?"

"Both. And look."

"…the North Star diamond. It's…"

"…bleeding…?"

"…so… Pandora was also the North Star."

"What?"

"…nothing, meitantei. But…"

"HEY!! GIVE THAT BACK!!"

"KID!!"

"Nice to see you, meitantei-tachi. This will be our last meeting."

**-**

**BOOM!**

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Cough cough cough.

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"**DAMMIT!!!**"

Sigh. "_…**buggerit.**_"

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* * *

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For the next month or so, newspapers held extraordinary news.

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The arrest of the two men of a hidden crime syndicate led to the discovery of the entire organization, heading all the way to the United States.

The North Star diamond was returned in good condition by pigeon mail to Inspector Nakamori Ginzo.

Kaitou Kid, the phantom thief sent a letter to the same police inspector and to the newspapers regarding his sudden retirement.

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There was more news than that but the following didn't appear in the newspapers.

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Hakuba Saguru threw a small private tantrum.

Kuroba Kaito smashed a certain jewel after his own replacement had been sent.

Inspector Nakamori received a last visit from 1412.

Koizumi Akako threw a sulk.

Kuroba Kaito asked Nakamori Aoko if she'd date a thief.

Aoko brandished a mop.

Kaito had a welt the size of a grapefruit.

Akako threw an even bigger sulk.

Accompanied by Hakuba.

Edogawa Conan was taken to America by his Aunty Yukiko and Uncle Yusaku.

Professor Agasa and Haibara Ai took a short vacation to the United States.

Agasa Ai came home, having been adopted.

Kudo Shinichi came home.

Mouri Ran practiced her karate.

Shinichi had bruises the size of oranges.

Eventually, after much fuss and bother, indignation and protestation, denials and refusals, Toyama Kazuha went out on a date.

With someone else besides Hattori Heiji.

Heiji nonchalantly scoffed that whoever she dated was none of his business.

Heiji kidnapped his best friend in the middle of the date, leaving the date to pay for an uneaten chicken fillet and a Coca-Cola.

Kazuha practiced aikido.

Heiji received a black eye.

Shinichi and Ran finally went on a date. After the welt healed.

Kaito and Aoko also went on a date. After the bruise disappeared.

Heiji and Kazuha went on a date as well. After the black eye dissipated.

Ran met Aoko and became good friends.

Aoko suggested they go on a double date.

Ran asked to make it a triple date, since Kazuha-chan was visiting.

They all met at the restaurant.

Halfway through, Shinichi went "ack!". Heiji went "you-!"

Kaito grinned.

Gradually, the three youths made peace, reluctantly on Shinichi's part, and resigned themselves to normality.

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* * *

__-_

_Six months later…_

As they waited for three certain girls to finish shopping, two detectives and a magician headed to a nearby costume store to amuse themselves. Kaito fingered a delicate red and gold Venetian mask with a smile.

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"Dropping masks feels good in a way."

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The quizzical look from Heiji and the raised eyebrow from Shinichi made him raise the mask but lower his voice.

"I dropped the monocle."

Heiji smirked, his index finger tracing the wrinkles on a Noh mask.

"I dropped my hat. So to speak."

Shinichi's lips tugged at a corner, his hand reaching for the typical glasses-nose-and-moustache gag mask.

"I dropped my glasses."

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Kaito released a deep breath. "…do either of you miss it sometimes?"

Shinichi smirked. "…you too?"

"…sometimes miss the denials."

"… miss doing my innocent act."

"… miss the adrenaline and the planning."

Kaito put the mask on his face. "Feel like putting them back on?"

Shinichi looked at the gag mask again, finger on the glasses. Heiji's eyes were far away even though he was turned to the Noh mask.

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"They're in the costume store, Aoko-san!"

"Coming, coming…!"

"Shinichi? Heiji-kun? Kuroba-kun?"

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Heiji and Shinichi exchanged a look with Kaito. All three grinned as they put the masks back on the shelf.

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"…nah."

**-**

**The End.**

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**A/N**: One of the stranger fics I've ever written in my 16 years of life. Not surprising considering that this is the result of being hit by a plot bunnie at 1.25 a.m when I was trying to get to sleep. I apologize for the mediocrity of the plot. I was never really good at complex plots and stories. (Hence my being a one-shot writer). If you enjoyed it, great, I'm glad you're entertained. If you didn't, please voice out your dislikes and suggestions politely. Thank you for sticking with this till the end.


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